Closure cap for liquid containers



Jan. 22, 1957 c. E. CAGLE CLOSURE CAP FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS INVENTOR.

C\\A2LES E. CAGLE ATTOQNEYS Filed Jan. 13 1956 United States Patent CLOSURE CAP FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Charles E. Cagle, Birmingham, Ala. Application January 13, 1956, Serial No. 559,042 3 Claims. (Cl. 215-74) This invention relates to closure caps, and more particularly to an improved closure cap for a water cooling container, or similar beverage container of the type having a neck adapted to receive a closure cap on its top rim.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved cooler cap which is simple in construction, which is adapted to be engaged on standard water cooling bottles, which is easy to fill, and is arranged so that liquid may be readily dispensed therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved closure cap for a water cooler, or similar liquid container, said cap being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, being arranged so that it cannot be contaminated by manual contact when it is installed on a liquid container, which is arranged so that the container on which it is installed may be filled without spattering liquid therefrom, and which is further arranged so that the liquid in the container may be readily dispensed therefrom without any adjustment of the closure cap.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top portion of a water bottle provided with an improved closure cap constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top view of the closure cap employed in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to Figure 2 but reduced in scale, showing the valve member of the closure cap in open position to admit liquid into the container.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view, similar to Figure 4, and showing the valve member of the closure cap in position to allow liquid to be dispensed from the container.

Referring to the drawings, the improved closure cap is designated generally at 11 and comprises a bowl-shaped member 12 which is integrally formed with a depending skirt element 13, the skirt element 13 being provided with internal threads 14, whereby the member 13 may be engaged on the externally threaded top portion of the neck 15 of a liquid container 16.

As is clearly shown in Figures 2 to 5, the bowl-shaped member 12 flares upwardly and outwardly from the top end of the skirt portion 13, defining a receiving means for liquid when filling the receptacle 16. The bowlshaped member 12 thus serves to prevent spattering of the liquid. Furthermore, said member 12 also serves as a gripping means to enable the user to handle the closure cap without contaminating the inner portion thereof, since the member 12 protects the inner portion against contact with the users hands. The member 12 may therefore be employed as a gripping handle for screwing or unscrewing the closure cap, namely, for mounting the cap on the receptacle 16, or removing the cap therefrom.

, 2,778,521 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 The bottom wall of the bowl-shaped member 12, shown at 17, is formed with a pair of side-by-side, generally oval apertures 18 and 19, the aperture 18 being relatively small and the aperture 19 being relatively large, as shown in Figure 3. Designated at 20 is a valve member which is hinged to the wall 17 between the apertures 18-and 19, as for example, by the provision of an integral hinge pin element 21 which is provided with conical end portions 22, 22 rotatably received in opposed conical recesses provided in the wall 17 between the aperture portions 18 and 19. The valve element 20 is formed with the respective relatively small and relatively large, generally oval flap portions 23 and 24, the flap portion 23 being located beneath the aperture portion 18 and the flap portion 24 being located above the aperture portion 19. The rim of the aperture portion 18 is formed with a seat 25 adapted to receive the edge of the flap portion 23, and the rim of the aperture portion 19 is formed with a seat 26 adapted to receive the rim of the flap portion 24, as shown in Figure 2, whereby both of the flap portions 23 and 24 are seated in their respective receiving seats 25 and 26 when the valve member 20 is in its normal closed position.

When liquid is admitted into the container 16, the liquid is allowed to descend on the flap portion 23, causing the valve member 20 to be rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, to the position shown in Figure 4. When the flow of liquid into the container .16 is terminated, the valve member 20 automatically returns to its normal, closed position, by the force of gravity, since the weight of the larger flap element 24 biases the valve element to said normal closed position.

When liquid is dispensed from the container 16, the container is tilted, as shown in Figure 5, whereby the liquid is allowed to flow through the aperture portion 19, causing the valve element 20 to be rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 5, to the open position there shown, allowing free movement of the liquid through the aperture portion 19. I

When the container 16 is in its normal upright position, the weight of the relatively large flap element 24 causes the valve 20 to resume its normal closed position.

While a specific embodiment of an improved closure cap for water cooling containers, and similar receptacles, has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure cap comprising a bowl-shaped member, a depending skirt element secured to said bowl-shaped member and being formed and arranged to be engaged on the rim of a liquid container, the bottom wall of said bowl-shaped member being formed with a pair of sideby-side aperture portions, and a valve member pivoted in said bottom wall and having respective opposing flap elements engageable respectively beneath and above the rims of said aperture portions, whereby one of said flap elements is rotatable downwardly to admit liquid through the closure cap and the other fiap element is rotated upwardly to allow liquid to be dispensed through the closure cap.

2. A closure cap comprising a bowl-shaped member, a depending skirt element secured to said bowl-shaped member and being formed and arranged to be engaged on the rim of a liquid container, the bottom wall of said bowl-shaped member being formed with a pair of sideby-side aperture portions, and a valve member having respective flap elements engageable respectively beneath and above the rims of said aperture portions, and binge means pivotally 'connectingsaid valve member to said bottom'wallbetween said aperture portions,'whereby one of said flap elements is rotatable downwardly to admit liquid through the. closure cap and the other flap element -is 'r'otatable upwardly 'to allow "liquid 'to'be* dispensed throughfthe' closure cap.

3. A" closure "cap' comprising a-bowl-shaped"member, a' dependingskirt element secured to said bowl-shaped memberand being formed and' arranged to be engaged 'on the rim of a'zliquid container,- the bottom wan-or said bowl-shaped' member being formed 'with apair: of sideby-sideaperture portions, onebeing relatively small-and one relatively large, and a valve member including a relatively small flapelement -and a relatively large flap element engageable respectively beneath and above the rims of said aperture portions, and hinge means pivotally connecting said valve member to said bottom wall between said aperture portions, whereby the relatively small flap element is rotatable downwardly to admit liquid through the closure. cap -and the relatively large flap element is rotatable upwardly to I allow liquid to be 0 dispensed 'throughthe closure cap.

No references cited.

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